Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), the Republican Leader of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, offered both a positive response and a sharp criticism of the Administration’s announcement relating to building high-speed rail systems in the United States.
        “I am pleased that President Obama has helped to launch a system for improved passenger rail service for our nation,” Mica said.
        “As the author of high-speed rail legislation included in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act signed into law by President Bush on October 16, 2008, I welcome new rail infrastructure projects that can relieve our congested highways and airspace, limit pollution, and more efficiently use our energy resources.”
        However, Mica cautioned that there is only a limited chance that taxpayers will see any semblance of true high-speed rail operating with the projects chosen.
        “Even the first leg of the Orlando-Tampa route will be a slow-speed, short-stop line,” Mica said.  “The Midwest routes chosen will only achieve a top speed of 110 miles per hour and were selected more for political reasons than for high-speed service.”
        He noted that high-speed rail systems around the world now operate at an average of 150 mph or more.
        “I am disappointed in the failure of the Obama Administration to follow the guidelines of the 2008 law, which highlighted private sector investment and participation,” Mica continued.  “The projects chosen by the Administration were not transparently selected and lack adequate private sector financial commitment.
        “Just spending huge amounts of federal taxpayer funds will not insure success of these megaprojects.  The last thing the American people need is another bailout program with low-speed trains to nowhere,” said Mica.
        Mica continued, “Finally, most disappointing is the unfortunate hijacking of the Northeast Corridor, which for the most part was kept out of the selection process and will remain the slow-speed stepchild of passenger rail transportation.  Keeping the Northeast Corridor as a private train set for a few select politicians will insure continued congestion in our nation’s most densely populated region.
        “With 75 percent of our country’s aviation chronic delays beginning in the New York airspace, it is a shame that the people in that crowded corridor have been shortchanged in this high-speed rail system selection process.
        “The Acela runs at an average speed of 83 mph between Washington, DC and New York City, and Amtrak has limited plans for improvement that will take 20 years to reach even moderate speeds in our most important transportation corridor.
        “It’s regrettable that continuing the Soviet-style Amtrak operation has trumped true high-speed service for a corridor so vital to our national transportation interests,” Mica concluded.
        The federal government is providing $8 billion in stimulus funds for the project awards announced.  In addition, $2.5 billion was appropriated in 2010 for high-speed rail projects.